


Rise and Shine, Sleeping Beauty

by myticanlegends



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Getting Together, M/M, Pining, Sleeping Beauty - Freeform, True Love's Kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-30
Updated: 2017-04-30
Packaged: 2018-10-25 17:05:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10768638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myticanlegends/pseuds/myticanlegends
Summary: "True Love's kiss?" Gansey asked, exasperated at the idea and Ronan wasn't quite sure which True Love's kiss he was talking about. It could have been involved with either of two of Gansey's greatest concerns: Blue, who he couldn't kiss or he'd die, and now Adam's stubborn ability to put himself in bad positions. "Are you sure?"Ronan wished he wasn't but he nodded anyway, tossing the worn copy of Sleeping Beauty at Gansey. His father had always loved the story of Sleeping Beauty. His mother, an image and name straight out of Disney film, was evidence of that.Sleeping king, sleeping- well, Ronan wasn't quite sure what but definitely something sleeping, and sleeping boy.Of COURSE the last one had to be awakened by a True Love's kiss because why the hell not. The universe hated him.-------(In which Ronan is a pining loser)





	Rise and Shine, Sleeping Beauty

Really, when it came down to it, Adam had brought it upon himself as he most often did. If he hadn't been stupid enough to sacrifice himself to a magic forest, and said magic forest hadn't been keeping him up at all hours of the day to fix the ley line, and if Adam hadn't followed it, they wouldn't be in the mess. Because obviously the ley line Adam had been trying to fix just HAD to lash out for once with its magic and now Adam seemed to be in some weird pseudo-coma.

That didn't mean Ronan didn't feel somewhat guilty. Cabeswater was in many ways of his own creation and Adam had just fallen into its trap.

It was a good thing that Cabeswater had at least had the decency to inform him, with a rustle in his ear and a sudden sense of dark foreboding, where and when it happened. Ronan had stormed out of the Monmouth, sped to the side of the highway where the entrance to Cabeswater now was located, screeched to a halt behind Adam's shitty Hondoyota, and sprinted to find him but it had been too late.

So here Adam was, laying on a couch in 300 Fox Way, with two people staring down at him. 

Gansey was collected, baffled definitely but more collected than Ronan expected, and staring down at him as if Adam would just wake up and give them instructions on how to wake him up. Blue chose to spend her time avoiding touching Adam just in case her magic amplified his sleep or whatever curse he seemed to be under and instead hovered over him. Ronan paced in the background, running his hand over his buzzed head with frustration. When that didn't calm him down, he moved his leather bands to his mouth and snapped at them angrily.

Maura and Calla only had to walk in the room for a second and take in the scene before exchanging glances.

"Oh," Maura said in surprise as if she hadn't been expecting this so soon.

"Oh," Calla affirmed with a smirk.

"What?" Blue asked snappily, clearly have seen it too. "Do you know how to wake him?"

"We can't do anything," Maura said steadily as Calla said, "Ask the snake."

Ronan spun on them immediately. "How the FUCK should I know?"

"Your forest," Calla shrugged. "Figure it out."

And just like that, she exited the room again. Maura smiled at Ronan comfortingly and patted his shoulder on the way out.

Blue huffed, Gansey sighed, and Ronan swore colorfully.

\----------

The forest felt as if frozen in a temporary moment of time when Ronan was finally dragged down to sleep. Not a sound was heard and nothing even close to the familiar rustling of leaves. Ronan was so used to the sound that it felt eerier without it- like the calm before a storm. He stood in the middle of a clearing, unsure of what to do. Usually dreams happened to him and not the other way around.

After a couple minutes, he started wandering about because he might as well do something. A peaceful dream for once would be nice.

Ronan wished Adam were there. He wished Adam were awake so that he wouldn't have to be sleeping now.

Sure enough, as soon as the thought occurred, a twig broke somewhere in the distance, breaking the frozen silence. Ronan looked down at his feet to make sure it wasn't him even though he already knew who it would be.

"Adam?" Ronan asked, and there he was, stepping out from behind an unmoving tree.

His features were sharp and elegant, something like an elf's, and his eyes sparkled when he looked at Ronan, his grin stretching his face in half. He looked impossibly happy and Ronan knew instantly this was the Dream Adam. Real Adam never looked this happy and carefree.

"Ronan," Adam greeted, shoving his hands into his pockets as he considered him.

Ronan stood still, waiting and as still as the trees around them. Maybe that was what the trees were doing too. Waiting.

Adam stalked closer, still grinning, and stopped only a couple inches away from Ronan. Ronan couldn't breath. He could see every eyelash, every blemish on Adam's tan skin, and his lips parted in the closest proximity Ronan had yet to watch them from in the waking world. Some of these things Ronan had noticed, most in fact, but his mind filled in the rest and made them otherworldly and just out of Ronan's reach.

Still, there was no mistaking that motor oil and herb smell that came from this lack of distance. Ronan had always been addicted to it, making excuses to get closer to him just to get a whiff, so it made sense this Dream Adam would smell the same. He fascination with the smell was only a little weird, he assured himself.

Ronan wanted to kiss Adam just then which was not a rare occurrence. Only in dreams could he indulge himself.

Instead he said, "You're sleeping."

"Am I?" asked Adam curiously back.

"How do I wake you up?" Ronan asked.

The trees had yet to move but Adam did. He pressed himself closer to Ronan and wrapped his arm around his neck to where he was dragging Ronan to his lips. The other hand clutched his shirt right over where his heart was pounding with an audible thumpthumpthumpthump and Ronan wondered if he would ever catch his breath if he kept doing this unhealthy pining and kissing and dreaming thing to himself. It was a never ending game of tetherball with himself as either opponent. Every time he tried getting closer to Adam, he would push himself back, but there was no unattaching himself from the force of gravity drawing himself nearer and nearer until he was spiraling out of control and wrapping himself to the only thing that could prevent the back and forth which was also the one thing he was trying to avoid.

Ronan certainly wasn't ever going to catch his breath or stabilize at this current distance, or lack thereof, between them. One that felt both like a victory and that he had never been so far away from his goal. He found himself inhaling as much of Adam as he could. His hands wrapped around Adam's waist and Ronan had to remind himself this was just a dream. But his hands could touch and explore and Adam's hands were settled against his skin as if they belonged.

Right before Ronan felt as if they were going to meld together or he was going to pass out from lack of air and sheer Adam Parrish overload, Dream Adam pulled away.

"You know how," he said and it took Ronan a second to remember the question he was answering.

Frustrated, he groaned and turned away because clearly he did not know how or else they wouldn't be in this mess. When he turned back around, Adam was gone. In his place lay a book and when Ronan picked it up, he woke.

\---------

"True Love's kiss?" Gansey asked, exasperated at the idea and Ronan wasn't quite sure which True Love's kiss he was talking about. It could have been involved with either of two of Gansey's greatest concerns: Blue, who he couldn't kiss or he'd die, and now Adam's stubborn ability to put himself in bad positions. "Are you sure?"

Ronan wished he wasn't but he nodded anyway, tossing the worn copy of Sleeping Beauty at Gansey. His father had always loved the story of Sleeping Beauty. His mother, an image and name straight out of Disney film, was evidence of that.

Sleeping king, sleeping- well, Ronan wasn't quite sure what but definitely something sleeping, and sleeping boy.

Of COURSE the last one had to be awakened by a True Love's kiss because why the hell not. The universe hated him.

"But Adam doesn't have a True Love," Gansey said, baffled but Blue interrupted.

"We don't know that."

They both stared at her and she rolled her eyes, flopping down on Gansey's bed to stare back up at them as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "True Love doesn't necessarily have to be part of a curse. My mom gets people asking for their True Love all the time."

"I guess that makes sense," Gansey said thoughtfully. "The idea already had to exist before it could be articulated into a curse."

Ronan continued staring. "That's a fucking SERVICE you guys have!? People pay you to lead them to their True Love and yippity do da, happily ever after??"

"It's not an automatic happy button," Blue said defensively. "Some people never find their True Love and even then, it's not a guarantee of happiness."

"Fucking hell," Ronan swore and they all grew silent.

"Maybe it's like Frozen," Blue suggested after a second. "True Love doesn't have to be a lover."

"What kind of children's shit is that?" Ronan spat. "It's a KISS, Maggot, not some siblings hugging."

"At least I'm trying to help," Blue shot back angrily. "Instead of pacing about the room brooding. We might as well try something!"

"Guys," Gansey said, holding up his hands in the universal sign of shut up. He looked exhausted and Ronan automatically felt chided, even without the words. Blue deflated, her head collapsing in her hands. "We will figure it out. Blue, your suggestion... who would that require?"

The fact that the three in the room, with the exception of Noah, were the only people who truly loved Adam was heavy in the air. His parents were hardly someone to turn to.

"Anyone. I would," Blue suggested bitterly and Ronan felt something deep inside flare up with an icy jealousy that he had no right to have. "But even if it works, it'd still kill him."

Ronan found himself relieved only for the briefest second but then hated himself because what the hell? Blue had to live with the fact she would kill her true love with a kiss even if it could save him. When he made eye contact with her, he saw her eyes swirling with worry and guilt and pain. She wanted to wake him just as much as the rest of them but couldn't. Ronan couldn't imagine living like that.

"That leaves one of us," Noah said, his voice warbling into existence. He appeared on the bed and Blue automatically took his hand. He instantly solidified- a stain appearing on a blank sheet of paper.

"Which one?" Gansey asked carefully and Noah looked at Ronan.

"It doesn't fucking matter," Ronan muttered, tossing Noah a glare. "If this Frozen shit works, as long as one of us does, he'll wake."

No one attested this or offered the idea that maybe Adam wouldn't wake up, whether it be from lack of True Love or not enough. Here in this room, Adam was loved. It was possible that it wasn't the type of love Adam needed.

Ronan could almost laugh. Adam had absolutely no idea and he was the one out of all of them who needed to know he was loved the most.

"I can try," Noah offered when Ronan didn't. Ronan didn't even look Noah's direction but he could feel his stare. "I've done it before."

That's when Ronan's head snapped in his direction. Gansey's followed and Blue looked amused but unsurprised.

"Do you head around kissing most of us?" She asked and Noah smirked.

"Maybe. I've yet to get to Gansey."

Gansey sputtered and for a second Blue laughed while Ronan was desperately trying to rid the thought from his head. There was no way. He didn't want to picture it and he didn't want to hope.

"Wait," Blue said and now all eyes were on Ronan again. "Ronan LYNCH. You didn't."

Ronan just shrugged and Noah giggled. "What, you can and I can't?"

"He's a great kisser," Noah informed them all sincerely and Ronan wanted to die.

Gansey cleared his throat, clearly unsure of what to do with the information that his girlfriend, or whatever it was he and Blue were, and his two best friends had all kissed Noah. "Adam," he reminded them.

Noah nodded seriously and they all became somber. All their eyes drew to the sleeping form of Adam on the couch only a couple feet away. Adam was sprawled across the whole thing in a position Ronan had seen many times before during late nights at St. Agnes. He seemed so small as if he were making an effort to take up the least amount of space his lanky body could afford stretched out across the cushions. A blanket covered most of his body because it had seemed odd to everyone that he appeared to be in such a restful sleep without a cover of some sort.

Noah approached the couch in flickers like a screen with glitches and only bits and pieces of the film. But when he reached Adam's side he appeared to be the normal teen Ronan and Gansey had first thought him to be when moving in. Young, pale, aggressively blonde, and the general appearance of innocence.

The room held its breath as Noah leaned down and placed his lips on top of Adam's.

Ronan was unsure of what was supposed to happen. Was there supposed to be a big dramatic reveal? Or would Adam just wake up one day and say, yep, it was Noah's kiss that did it.

Nothing happened. They all stood in vigil for a full minute before Noah sighed and announced what they were all thinking, "It didn't work."

"Maybe it's because you're dead?" Blue suggested and Noah pouted.

"Just because I'm dead doesn't mean I don't have feelings."

"I guess it would be my turn next," Gansey volunteered and Blue turned to watch him curiously.

Ronan continued staring at the sleeping form of Adam Parrish hoping he'd just goddamn wake up. He couldn't help wonder what it would be like to kiss the real Adam and not the Dream version there to comply to his wishes and fantasies- the one Cabeswater sent with the idea of making their Greywaren happier. It only made the pit of hunger and guilt grow every time Ronan woke up. It would double in size if Ronan kissed him here and now when he had no way of rejecting the advance. Maybe if it would save him?

Gansey knelt by Adam's form like a true prince and glanced over at Blue for a brief second before looking down and gently pecking Adam's lips.

Again nothing happened and Ronan's world slowly started crumbling. "Shit," he swore, starting to pace again.

Adam Parrish would wake up. Ronan Lynch would get on a plane right now and track down his True Love at this very moment if he only knew who she was.

If not, Adam would have wallowed, having never accomplished his dreams and only living to become a permanent picture of unaffected sleep. Adam would hate it.

"Your turn, Ronan," Blue said softly but Ronan continued pacing.

"What's that supposed to do, Maggot? We tried your fucking stupid platonic love theory and it didn't work. Why would it work with me?"

"Ronan," Gansey said lightly, joining Blue by the bed, a warning to both him and Blue's disposition.

"We've got to try," Blue offered after a second of a fierce glaring competition.

"It won't do shit!" Ronan yelled, pausing where he was to face her. "I'm not going to kiss him. It's a waste of our goddamn time."

"Ronan," Gansey said again.

"No," Ronan stressed and Blue looked upset. Gansey looked disappointed. Noah simply looked sad. For once Ronan didn't care. This, for him, had a whole other meaning than it did to them.

"Don't be selfish," Blue snapped but that was exactly what Ronan wasn't doing for once in his life. "If you don't want to kiss him because it's weird or whatever, get over it."

"That's not why," Ronan admitted.

The two maintained eye contact for only a second before Blue let out a soft, "Oh."

"Oh?" Gansey asked. Ronan raised his eyebrow and he understood as well. "Oh."

"Oh," Noah added. "I've got to go. Good luck."

"It could be you," Blue offered sounding sincere.

"What if isn't?" Ronan shot back at her and the room went quiet. It wasn't just about Adam waking up now. If it didn't work, now there would be double the casualties.

"What if it is," Blue said, raising her head challengingly.

Ronan doubted it. He had been leaving hints around for months in ways Adam most certainly understood but didn't do anything about. Adam liked girls like Blue not knives aimed to cut like Ronan. Ronan hopelessly wanted it to work and he didn't know what he would do if it didn't. Maybe Ronan would finally move on but who could move on from Adam Parrish? What if Adam rejected him if he woke up? There were so many things that could go wrong.

"Adam would have wanted you to," She added. "To save his life."

"He's in a coma, not dying," Ronan snapped but he moved over to the couch to stand over the sleeping boy.

Adam had no idea what was even happening. Or what if he did, just watching above his body and just waiting for someone to do something? He would probably be frustrated at their lack of action. Or with them for not just heading off and trying to find his true love. Or worse, himself for getting himself in this mess in the first place.

There was no way for Adam to stop Ronan from stooping down and kissing him like he'd wanted to do so many times before. It felt wrong to kiss someone so clearly unconscious.  
"I can't," Ronan announced.

Blue frowned with sad understanding and Gansey nodded comfortingly. "I'm going to go home," she said to the room. "Gansey, drive me?"

Gansey agreed with a simple, "of course," like the lovelorn puppy he was and fished his keys from his pocket. Their hands ended up looped together instead as both Blue and Gansey stood and guided each other from the room.

Gansey patted Ronan's shoulder as he passed him and said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "We'll wake him up."

Then it was just Ronan and the sleeping Adam Parrish.

Ronan sat on the side of the couch which felt safer than any other option. His hands grasped at Adam's, desperate for some sort of contact to ground him.

Adam's hands were cold and worn but softer than Ronan had imagined. He pictured Adam using the hand cream he had given him and his chest warmed considerably. Instead of focusing on Adam's calm and motionless face, Ronan trailed his fingers along the hard earned lines on Adam's hands in an attempt to warm and memorize them. His hands were something to be memorized. They had built Adam from the ground and yet Ronan thought they were one of the most elegant things he had seen.

Ronan surrounded Adam's hand with his own and held it to his mouth to blow warm air on them. He had no idea what he was doing. There was no one there to stop him and that was always the most dangerous time.

Carefully, Ronan brought Adam's knuckles to his lips and brushed them with a featherlight kiss.

Nothing happened.

Ronan ached to lean forward to do the same to Adam's mouth but that was past his bounds. Maybe tomorrow Blue would get her family to try that stupid true love finding thing and Ronan would watch Adam wake up and fall in love but at least it was better than living without him.

When Ronan looked up, he saw Adam's bright blue eyes watching him curiously.  
Ronan watched him back.

"Wasn't Sleeping Beauty supposed to be woken by a kiss?" Adam asked.

Ronan scoffed, dropping his hand and moving his own into the deep pockets of his own sweatshirt. "Is that not what I did?"

"No," Adam answered and Ronan figured that was a fair answer. "Not a real one."

Ronan knew the difference between real and figurative and unfortunately, this was real. "It worked, didn't it?" he tried nonchalantly.

"Cabeswater said it was true love." Adam stared into Ronan's soul. "I thought I'd sleep forever. What day is it?"

"It's only been a day," Ronan answered the real question he was asking.

"A day," Adam repeated, studying Ronan searchingly.

"So," he began again and Ronan interrupted.

"Blue thinks that you could have been woken with platonic true love."

Then Adam snorted, pulling himself up on his elbows. "You and I both know that's not what's happening here."

"Do we?" Ronan asked.

"If it was, Gansey would have enough love to wake the whole city. And Glendower."  
Ronan could find it in himself to laugh. Instead, he found himself asking, "How's Gansey's kissing?"

"Soft," Adam answered. "Gansey," which was a description in of itself. "I kind of feel bad for Blue."

Ronan knew he was saying it as a joke but he couldn't help but ask, "Are you...?"

"Over her?" Adam finished correctly as if surprised. "You realize you just woke me up with True Love's kiss, right?"

That didn't mean he didn't still want Blue. True Love didn't mean anything to Ronan if Adam didn't want him. True Love didn't guarantee happiness, Blue had said. She and Gansey were proof of that.

"You said it wasn't a kiss," Ronan said instead.

"Not a real one," Adam agreed. "Would you like me to fall back asleep so you try again?"  
Ronan stared and then... Fuck it. He lunged forward and kissed him. Adam fell back with surprise and the sudden weight of Ronan who had less than a second of thinking shitshitshit before Adam was kissing him back.

It was every dream that Ronan never had and hundred times better because this was the Real Adam Parrish who had his hands on the back of his scalp. Ronan's hands held himself up just above Adam. And also they were kissing. The kind of kissing that was forged in volcanoes and made to scorch.

Ronan pulled away after only a second because if he hadn't been able to handle this in dreams, how did he expect himself to be able to survive a kiss like that in reality?

Adam blinked up at him with those intelligent blue eyes and it took everything Ronan had not to dive straight back into them.

"What does this make us?" Adam asked curiously.

"Who the fuck knows," Ronan replied.

"All right," Adam said because it was.

"Lets go on a drive," Ronan suggested, already standing up and heading for the door. He could hear Adam sliding off of the couch and following but he didn't look back.

The BMW was glistening in the parking lot when he climbed in and finally he looked to his right to see Adam get in the passenger seat.

"Shouldn't we tell Gansey and Blue that I'm awake?" he suggested but Ronan turned the keys in the ignition and the suggestion was drowned away.

"Later," Ronan said. It felt like they had all the time in the world.

Adam's hand fell on top of Ronan's where he was reaching for the gearshift.

"Go," he said and Ronan did.


End file.
